Future Resource Planning
Idaho Falls Power's goal is to provide low-cost, reliable electricity that meets current and future energy and sustainability needs. The utility is committed to effective and responsible resource use and environmental practices that maximize social and economic development to lay the foundation for future generations to thrive.
Currently, IFP predominately uses hydropower – through our own generation and from purchased power from the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) – to serve utility customers. Our five hydropower plants operated along the Snake River typically provide one-third of our City's energy needs, depending upon the season and consumer demands. IFP also has preference rights and an agreement with the BPA to purchase power from federal dams located on the Columbia River, Lower Snake River, and a nuclear plant located in Hanford, Washington. This power purchase agreement expires in 2028. It is subject to renewal, which comes with additional uncertainty on cost and supply. The BPA contract supplies between one-half to two-thirds of our energy needs. The remainder of our power comes from wholesale market purchases and a small portion of wind generation near Ririe Reservoir in Eastern Idaho.
This resource mix has served our needs well. But, the energy landscape is changing, creating unprecedented fluctuations in energy market costs and availability due to several variables, including western coal plant retirements, surrounding state energy policy changes, and overall customer growth. The city has experienced significant growth in the last five years. This load growth for the utility requires more energy, predominantly during peak summer and winter periods of the year.
To best serve and provide for the needs of our customers and our community while maintaining our overall goals and objectives, IFP continually looks at and explores additional energy resources to best plan for current and future energy needs.
The Idaho Falls Peak Generation Plant and Clean Energy Research Park
Idaho Falls Power (IFP) is investing $36 million to build a new local power generation plant. The 17.5-megawatt peaking plant will provide dispatchable on-demand energy for the community during summer and winter peak energy usage periods. The new plant builds on continuing IFP's long history of ensuring reliable and affordable energy for the community.
The Idaho Falls City Council, which also serves as the utility’s governing board, voted in February of 2024 to approve the construction contract with ESI Construction, a Meridian based Idaho Company.
The project is designed to deliver affordable, reliable, and dispatchable energy to Idaho Falls Power. The plant will generate in peak periods to offset the need to acquire energy from the wholesale marketplace when power prices are the highest. IFP supplies one-third of the city's energy needs with internal hydroelectic generation from our five plants on the Snake River. The rest comes from power purchases made thorugh our BPA contract. However, the community's electricity demands have still exceeded supply during the winter heating season (early morning and late evening hours) and summer cooling season after five p.m. when solar generation in the western grid fades.
Idaho Falls Power is committed to forward-looking clean emission energy resources. Thus, the generation plant will be built to accommodate future development and upgrades to emerging but not yet commercial clean energy technologies like hydrogen. This clean energy research portion of the park will enable emerging research collaboration with entities like the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and energy industry partners to demonstrate the scalability of emerging energy technologies. The goal is to use future research to help transition between traditional fuels to emerging net-zero technologies at utility scale and operation.
Why use natural gas?
Natural gas is a reliable, low-cost, low-emission energy supply that meets the current needs of the utility. It also enables testing and research for a smooth transition from carbon-intensive generation, like a coal power plant, to low-carbon generation as cleaner technology advancements become more feasible and economical. The generation units purchased for the peaking plant are hydrogen capable, with no upgrade costs, at a 25% hydrogen fuel blend. IFP views natural gas as a bridge to serve current needs while even cleaner dispatchable generation resources are developed.
What is the purpose of the research complex?
We’re committed to promoting the development and use of energy resources that limit greenhouse emissions without sacrificing reliability or affordability. The City continues to adopt policies and initiatives facilitating effective management and conservation of resources.
The research park is designed to foster partnerships to help advance clean energy technology that meets the utility’s economic, reliability, and scalability goals.
As an example, the INL anticipates creating marketable hydrogen that could supplant natural gas as the fuel resource and could potentially be co-located at the research park.
Where will this gas peaking plant be located?
Idaho Falls Power purchased a 136-acre lot near the intersection of East Iona Road and the North Yellowstone Highway. The location was selected based on its zoning, proximity to rail service, natural gas access, and IFP’s transmission and distribution system. 10 acres of the 136-acre lot have been platted for the plant. The generation plant will be housed in a 240' x 50' pre-engineered metal building. The building will have associated maintenance, office, and meeting space. Idaho Falls Power has partnered with Engineer Structures Inc. (ESI) for the design and construction of the facility. The remaining 126 acres of the 136-acre lot will allow for potential future expansion, research and development, and a future substation. The project will also provide a 70' x 100' storage building near the generation facility as well as outside storage space for Idaho Falls Power.
The land is sizeable enough to conduct the research and testing necessary for the development of new technologies that will develop the grid of the future.
Where is the project at now?
Idaho Falls Power anticipates breaking ground in August of 2024 with an estimated online date of December 2025. There will also be an ancillary storage building located adjacent to the peaking plant generation building.
